Nathan Carlson
"Oh what '''fun'!" '' -- Nathan Carlson's last words before destroying the NBS Elizabeth Nathan Carlson, formerly referred to as The Crow 'and in his youth as ''California, is a main character and a former antagonist in The Walking Dead by EDStudios, and returning as a main character in the [[The 'New Age' Extension|'New Age' Extension]]. Until Season 27'', the Crow's real name and origins were unknown, until his name was revealed to be Nathan Carlson, formerly known as 'California' and the last surviving member of the Chester Woods Bandits. He was revealed to be the true leader of The Fear and serves as the primary antagonist of Season 24 ''onwards until his defeat in ''Season 27. He continues to serve as a recurring antagonist until Season 33, when he is revealed to have reformed. As the Crow, Carlson waged a bloody and brutal war with the State of New Graystone, determined to cleanse the people of the State of their fear, as well as to take revenge against Edwards for the deaths of the Chester Woods Bandits. His led his legions in destroying the Capital, nearly bringing down the State of New Graystone in the process. In his final battle of Edwards, his fears were exposed and, instead of being killed, was thrown in a cell surrounded by fire. After becoming a prisoner, he slowly reformed and regained a semblance of mental stability. However, he initially sided with Antony Eden and proceeded to deliver him launch codes for missiles dotted around D.C. It was revealed that these launch codes were actually self-destruct codes and Carlson switched his loyalty to Edwards. In order to prove himself to the Veteran once and for all, he returned to Heron Street and, whilst crying and laughing at the same time, wiped out the very cult he created. He then proceeded to help the Commonwealth in their war against the Government, proving almost instrumental in their defeat. Turning to religion under the guidance of Gideon Monroe, Carlson slowly began to repair his broken mind. After accepting a job as a farmhand on Veteran Ranch, Carlson worked away his old identity and eventually became the head of the ranch workforce, caring for the family. In his elderly years, Carlson continued serving Edwards despite being riddled with tremors, nothing like the monster he once was. However, with the onset of a new war between the Commonwealth of New Buckingham and the Commonwealth Coalition, Carlson revealed his inner madness to protect Hope, becoming one of her closest allies. He finally gave his life to destroy the NBS Elizabeth, detonating the ship's oil supplies with a grenade, having already been bitten. Carlson's sacrifice allowed his allies to succeed in the Battle of Bakersfield, leaving the way for the Corps defeat and earning him the redemption he had sought for years. Overview The Crow, real name Nathan Carlson, is a tall, thin and terrifying man with a twisted outlook on life and the world. During his time as the leader of the Fear, Carlson was usually seen wearing a full black outfit, including a heavy overcoat and black gloves. Over his face, he wore a black mask with red lenses - forged from the shattered fragments of the mask of death - to hide his identity. He wore this outfit to hide his full-body burns, although his face was preserved from the flames. Personality The cold, totally unstable and psychotic leader of the Fear, the Crow is introduced as a remorseless lunatic who strips people of their fear in order to "make them stronger,", believing a species without fear will be able to evolve. He is also prone to bouts of insane, maniacal laughter. He takes people and subjects them to their fears for extended periods to "cleanse" them. For example, after he met Berto - who was suffering from monophobia - the Crow locked him in a soundproof room alone for six months, destroying Berto's mental state and causing him to tear most of the skin from his face. The Crow is shown to be a cunning, cruel and savage man who is a strong leader to those in his group, who follow him as if he is some sort of messiah. He appears to take great pride in his leadership abilities and seems to enjoy the position of power. He seems to have a potent understanding of psychology, at least when it comes to his leadership, the taunting of his foes and of course his fear-purging agenda. He seems to be completely detached from people and is cruel and ruthless, as shown when he led a large herd to the Capital, leading to the death of many innocents and laughing when learning of the devastation. He demands loyalty and obedience from everyone who follows him, even killing two members of his group who try to help him in his fight with Edwards. However, Carlson is later shown to be highly emotionally unstable, especially when his fear of fire is exposed to the Fear by Edwards. This leads him on a warpath, sacrificing many of his own people in order to secure a victory. As his burns are revealed to the people of the Capital once Edwards defeats him, Carlson reverts to an almost childlike state, both crying and laughing at the same time, begging for death and to be left alive at the same time. He is briefly shown to be scared of dying, based on the look of fear that he shows as Edwards chocks him; it was this look that inspired Edwards to throw Carlson in prison for life instead of just killing him. After his defeat and imprisonment, Edwards occasionally heads down to his cell to speak with him and taunt him about the New World they are creating. Gideon, one of the few to accept that Edwards spared Carlson, also attempts to give him therapy sessions, believing that his innocence is still alive deep within him, hidden beneath a cloak of insanity brought on by his extreme trauma. Edwards eventually shows Carlson the Lady's severed head, causing Carlson's "stable side" to show for the first time, the pain of which caused him to break down in tears. After this, Carlson seems to show signs of improvement, which is again tarnished when he sides with Antony Eden, reverting to his old self. In doing so, Carlson acquired a set of launch codes to activate the missiles around Washington D.C which could be used to destroy the Commonwealth. However, it is later revealed he has switched his loyalty to Edwards, leading to him severely injuring Antony Eden, evacuating Edwards and his people from Maryland, and locating and wiping out the remains of the Fear in order to prove his loyalty. However, even when he is siding with Edwards and his allies, Carlson still carries out his methods theatrically and is, despite his repaired mental state, still riddled with insane laughter. A good example was when he destroyed the Pentagon with C-4 and killed Marcus Aurora in the process, laughing maniacally at Aurora the entire time before escaping. As he becomes more and more aware of how unstable he is, Carlson begins to constantly shift between a maniacal and theatrical side - "The Crow" - and more serious, sincere and logical side - "Nathan Carlson" - which he often changes at will. When he is "Nathan Carlson", he is able to suppress his laughter and insanity; however, a side effect of this is a series of neurological tremors, chest pains and headaches. As "The Crow", Carlson releases the full extent of his mania, while also displaying heightened resistance to pain and even faster reaction times, most likely due to the banishment of the tremors. Becoming more and more aware of his instability, Carlson turns to God and religion, even going so far as to confess his sins in a confession with Gideon. The 'New Age' ExtensionIn his elderly years, Carlson has become the lead staff member of the workers on Veteran Ranch. He is nothing like the monster he once was: he is shy, timid, and riddled with tremors trying to suppress his mania. Although he still shows signs of instability - including hallucinations and bouts of manic laughter - he is now fully aware of his condition and makes strong efforts to suppress them. He expresses shame for his past actions and believes he is tainted. As a result, he has continued his fellowship of religion to atone for his crimes and often attends sermons. However, when Hope's life is in danger during the war, Carlson wastes no time in reverting to his old self in order to protect her, a side of him Hope had never seen before. However, he affirms that she is not to be afraid of him and even his "Crow" side is now a force for good. However, the years of keeping his insanity hidden and in control has visibly taken its toll on him, with him once again consistently switching between "Nathan Carlson" and "The Crow"; this time, however, the transitions are violent, unbridled and painful, with the stress of the mental transitions causing him physical pain and even leading to him self harming. His adrenaline levels reach high enough for him to dent concrete during one of his mental transitions. Severely injured in a gunfight, Carlson falls into a traumatic hallucination during which he relieves his deforming injuries trapped in the Mitchell family barn, his torturing of Berto and the Lady, and the headaches and tremors he has self-inflicted over the years in order to remain stable and atone for his past crimes. After confronting the madness within himself, Carlson is able to bond his two personas together for the first time. In the end, despite his maniacal nature, Carlson cared deeply for those who had learned to accept him, giving his life so that his allies could strike a significant blow to the Corps, and, as a result, earning himself the forgiveness and redemption he had sought for over a decade for the monster he once was. Pre-Apocalypse Little is known about Carlson's life before the outbreak; his Chester Woods Bandit nickname - 'California' - may indicate he is originally from the eponymous state, but this has not been confirmed. Post-Apocalypse When Nathan Carlson was just eight, all of the adults in the world died and came back as the undead, feasting on anything they found, including the surviving children. He somehow found his way to a department store, joining the group called the Chester Woods Bandits, taking the name 'California'. Season 1 'Friend Or Foe' 'California' is briefly sighted by Edwards during the attack on the bandit camp. It is later revealed that he was taken, alongside the dead bodies of his fellow bandits, to the Mitchell Family's barn. He is trapped inside when Edwards and Aaron set fire to the barn to cremate the bodies inside. California is subsequently seriously injured in the blaze. Season 24 In the following years, Carlson was found by a mother and her daughter, who took him in. He became obsessed with defeating "The Demon" that had disfigured him and devoted himself to ridding himself completely of fear, breaking his psyche in the process. He indoctrinated the daughter as his warden, subjecting her to her severe arachnophobia and transforming her into his minion. Together they set out to rid anyone they came across of fear and formed a group of survivors, taking up residence within Heron Street. He chose the persona The Crow due to the crow's utter fearlessness towards eating rotten flesh. Season 27 Season 28 'A Certain Doom' In the two years following his defeat, Carlson had remained mentally damaged. Season 1 ('New Age' Extension) 'A Larger World' Season 15 ('New Age' Extension) 'City of Ghosts' Death''The 'New Age' Extension'' Killed by: * Zombies (caused) * Himself (suicide, sacrifice) Having been bitten on the shoulder, Carlson goes all out and wipes out most of the NBS[[NBS Elizabeth| Elizabeth]]'s crew singlehandedly. Getting to the top of the radio tower, Carlson goes out in glory, igniting the ship's fuel tanker with a grenade and perishing in the flames. His sacrifice ultimately paved the way for the eventual defeat of the New Buckingham Corps. Killed Victims This list shows the victims Nathan Carlson has killed: * 1 unnamed woman (caused) * 2 unnamed children (caused) * Marcus Aurora (caused) * Numerous unnamed Capital residents (direct, caused) * 2 unnamed members of the Fear (alive) * Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people Relationships The Lady "I can't come back...he took everything from me," The Lady is the Crow's ward. During his imprisonment, it is revealed that Carlson cared more about the Lady than initially believed, desperately asking Bethany to show him the Lady's remains. Berto ''"He showed me the true way to live. A life without fear," '' -- '''Berto on his loyalty to the Crow Although they are never shown interacting, Berto is shown to hold a great deal of loyalty to the Crow, mentioning him several times and the reason behind his survival, despite the atrocities the Crow committed against him, including murdering his wife and children. When Carlson gives a confession to Gideon, he mentions how he had The Lady and several other members of the Fear kill Berto's family, before locking him in a room to "cure" his monophobia. Harry Edwards "Your grandchildren are gifted, Veteran...thanks to you, they will not lose their way. I know it," '' - '''Carlson to Edwards, consoling him about his grandchildren' Edwards and Carlson were fearsome enemies and bitterly despised each other for a long period of time, with Carlson blaming Edwards for all of his trauma and Edwards vengeful for the Crow's actions against the people of the State of New Graystone. Carlson's hatred stems from his being burned in a barn fire set by the Clarkson Survivors, the trauma of which leads to Carlson referring to Edwards as "The Demon". Despite all that the Crow had done, Edwards decided to let him live at the conclusion of the war, sentencing Carlson to a life sentence in a cell surrounded by fire. However, in their later lives, the two are close friends, with Carlson expressing strong loyalty to Edwards and his family, crediting the restoration of his sanity to Edwards and his efforts. Hope Edwards "Come along, mistress Hope. Let's have some fun!" '' -- Nathan reveals "The Crow" to Hope for the first time Hope and Carlson have a good relationship. Carlson is fiercely loyal and protective of Hope, and Hope cares deeply for the tremor-riddled Carlson. He played a significant part in Hope's childhood as he taught her to read and write, as well as give her history lessons. Carlson often refers to Hope as "mistress Hope". However, as Hope returns to defend New Chicago and is kidnapped by Sarah Terringham, she discovers a new side to Carlson as he arrives to rescue her, with him showing her his true, maniacal nature for the first time. Kyle Granger ''"Listen, never did I nor will I ever forgive Nathan Carlson for the man he was...but damn me if I don't '''respect' him now. Because of him, we have a fighting chance. He gave his life for all of us. ... If he isn't forgiven, then he has certainly atoned," '' -- Kyle to John John Smith "You're the bastard that killed my father!" Quotes * "I know. Surprising, isn't it. What were you expecting? A couple scars here and there? One eye? No...behold, '''the face of true sanity',"'' * "This is the end. It's just you and me, Demon. You are torn open...I am bigger...I am badder...and I feel no fear. ... She was wrong. ... She didn't know a damn thing," Trivia * The Crow is the favourite villain of the EDStudios writing team according to a staff poll, while also one of the "most difficult - and most fun - characters to write". ** "We never intended Nathan to redeem himself, but at his core Nathan is just damaged. His evil side is his way of protecting his fragile mind. We wanted to give him child-like qualities to prove there was something innocent buried under all that evil. He is one of the most difficult - but one of the most fun - characters to write. He has come a long way from a psychopathic cult leader to family butler," * The Crow has severe pyrophobia - a fear of fire. ** This resulted from him being trapped and burned within the Mitchell Family's barn, which the Clarkson Survivors set on fire without realizing that he was alive. ** Carlson does not smoke due to his fear of fire. * He is the first primary antagonist to become an ally of a protagonist. * Carlson is the third antagonist to be sentenced to life imprisonment by Edwards, following Eduard and Lawrence Carter. * Most of Carlson's body is covered in burns, excluding his head. He also has a long scar at the bottom of his throat from when Edwards slashed it in their climactic battle. * It has been speculated that Carlson suffers from a duel identity disorder, with "The Crow" being his mind's defence from all the trauma that Carlson has suffered. ** Carlson chose the identity of "The Crow" as he believes that the crow is the sole fearless animal on the planet. * Whenever Carlson suppresses his mania, the effort takes such a toll on him he develops a neurological tremor in both hands, as well as chest pains and headaches. He also appears to suffer from pathological laughter. Category:Season 1 Category:Chester County Category:Chester Woods Bandits Category:Commonwealth of New Graystone Category:New North Category:The Fear Category:Washington D.C Category:White House Rebels Category:Veteran Ranch Category:Characters Category:Antagonists Category:Deceased Characters Category:Former Antagonists Category:Main Characters Category:Reformed Category:Anti-Hero Category:Religious